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The Talos Principle 2

Croteam on how The Talos Principle was "a happy accident" and on talking AI through the decades

Davor Hunski reflects on what their original first-person-puzzle conveyed now that AI became a tangible everyday thing.

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Last month in Bilbao we were privileged to attend a panel by Croteam's Davor Hunski and Damjan Mravunac, who shared lots of interesting insight on the creation of their highly-acclaimed first-person-puzzles, The Talos Principle and The Talos Principle 2.

The talk was part of the BIG Conference 2024, where we also got the chance to catch up with Hunski in the following interview, which turned into a deep, comprehensive conversation where the chief creative officer became even more detailed and personal."

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The origins of The Talos Principle trace back to a happy accident while Hunski was experimenting with ideas for Serious Sam. Initially, he was focused on solving the age-old puzzle trope of the "key and door" mechanic, a staple in many games such as DOOM or Zelda, and sought to find a more interesting way to fulfil that function. As he describes:

"I was trying to come up with the idea of how to solve the necessity or need to find some key and open some door... we didn't want to do the typical blue key, blue door thing"

This experimentation led to the development of a core puzzle mechanic that laid the foundation for The Talos Principle. What began as a small side project quickly evolved into something much bigger, with the team discovering that players appreciated the challenge of combining mechanics in unexpected ways. "People enjoyed those the most", Hunski recalls, highlighting how the experiment turned into a genre-defining game. As the team continued to refine the concept, they developed more complex systems, such as the laser grid and time-based puzzles, which worked well together to create a more robust puzzle system. Extensive playtesting, including playtesting with a bot, further refined the mechanics.

In the interview, which you can watch with your local subtitles, Hunski also explains that making a sequel to such a unique game was a challenging and brave decision, with the team taking almost five years to develop the story, gameplay mechanics, and visuals to ensure they were ready for a follow-up.

"I think that our history says that we are a good species on this planet"

But, naturally, we also wanted to get philosophical with this discussion.

A decade ago, the team at Croteam was already grappling with the implications of AI in society, and The Talos Principle served as a vehicle to explore these themes. Reflecting on the dystopian nature of AI in both fiction and reality, Hunski says, "we always thought, especially in the 90s and 2000s, that it is not fair not to see the positive side of future and humanity and AI". While many portray AI as a threat, The Talos Principle challenged players to consider the potential for AI to enhance civilization and culture.

Today, as AI is a more pressing concern than ever, Hunski remains optimistic. He continues, "I don't think that humanity should be depicted as something that is bad, grim or something. I think that our history says that we are a good species on this planet and that we are capable of overcoming our problems". As AI evolves, the CCO envisions a future where technology, like the one explored in The Talos Principle, can be seen as a tool for progress rather than a harbinger of doom, suggesting that games have a responsibility to explore these complexities and encourage players to think critically about the future.

"For us in Croteam, for example, we argue about something. I think A, you think B, right? And we need to decide what we will be doing. But at the moment when we decide, okay, you're the one that will decide, we'll go B, right? From that moment, B will be my opinion. Well, not my opinion, but I will give everything I have to help bring B to life, your opinion to life. So it's not like I want to enforce my view of things".

When discussing the game's design, Hunski emphasises the importance of allowing players to approach philosophical questions from multiple perspectives, rather than imposing a single worldview. He describes their approach as offering players the chance to form their own opinions, acknowledging the complexity of AI and philosophy without forcing any conclusions. This philosophy of encouraging exploration and critical thinking resonates in the game's design, inviting players to discover their own answers to the questions posed by the narrative.

Have you played The Talos Principle 1 or 2? How long will we have to wait for The Talos Principle 3? And what do you think it will cover with its sci-fi narrative? Leave a comment below.

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